Harness-frame-operating device for looms.



No. 654,077. Pata nted July l7, I900.

a. w. STAFFORD. HARNESS FRAME OPERATING DEVICE FOR LUUMS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. STAFFORD, OF PROVIDENCE, RI-IODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THEOROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WVORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

HARNESS-FRAlVlE-OPERATING DEVICE FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,077, dated July 17,1900.

Application filed June 23,1898.

T aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. STAFFORD,

a citizen of the United States,residin g at Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Harness-Frame- Operating Devices for Looms, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

In certain classes of shedding mechanism for looms the harness-framesare moved positively in one direction to spread or separate thewarp-threads in opening the sheds and are moved in the oppositedirection through the action of springs to close the sheds. Varionscombinations and arrangements of devices have been contrived for thepurpose of effecting this return movement of the harness-frames. Thesedevices are termed sometimes spring-jacks. Myinvention has relation todevices of this class, and it has for its object in general to improvethe construction thereof.

One particular object of the invention is to provide means whereby tocause the action of the springs as transmitted to the harnessframes tovary progressively from front to rear in the series of harness-frameswhich is employed in a loom.

The invention consists in an improved construction and combination ofparts,which will be described fully with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which latter is illustrated the best embodiment of theinvention that I have yet contrived, after which the distinguishingcharacteristics of the invention will be particularly pointed out anddistinctly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a view in front elevation of aspring-jack embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a View in plan of thesame, one end thereof being broken away.

2 2, having the ends thereof fixed in the front 1 l are levers mountedtoturn freely on rods Serial No. 684,233. (No model.)

pair being disposed in line with each other and their proximate endsbeing operatively connected with each other, so as to cause the pair oflevers to move in unison. I have shown the said ends as formed withgear-segments 5 5, the teethof which intermesh. In Fig. 2 the greaterpart of the series of levers is omitted for the sake of simplicity. Theouter ends of levers1 1 are provided with holes 6 6 for the reception ofconnections (not shown) extending to and joined to the harness-frames.(Not shown.)

7 7 are springs, the inner ends of which are connected, as byconnections consisting of wires 8 8 and loops 9 9, with hooks 1O 10,with which levers 1 1 are formed or provided. These hooks are located onthe under edges of the outwardly extending arms of the levers.

11 11 are girths or bars which are located at the opposite ends of theplates or frames 3 3, the ends of each of the said girths or bars 11fitting within slots or slideways 12 12,which are provided in the endportions of the said plates or frames 3 3, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.The outer ends of the springs 7 7 are engaged with hooks 13 13 on thesegirths or bars 11 11. One of the latter may be dispensed with in somecases, if desired, and all of the springs may be connected with a singlegirth or bar. By preference, however, I employ the two girths or bars 1111 which are shown and dispose them at opposite ends of the plates orframes 3 3, as in Fig. 1, and I connect a part of the springs with onesuch girth 8 5 or bar and the remaining part of the springs with theother girth or bar. The two sets of springs and the correspondingconnections 8 8 extend in opposite directions, as shown, the connections8 8 of the respective sets of springs 0 alternating and crossing oneanother, as in Fig. 1. The connections of one set of springs are joinedby their loops 9 9 to the alternate levers at one end of the plates orframes 3 3, while those of the other set of springs are 5 joined bytheirloops to theintermediately-disposed levers at the other end of thesaid plates or frames. Thus each intermeshing pair of levers hasconnected to one of the component levers thereof one of the springs 7.The em- :00 ployment of two girths or bars 11 11, located at oppositeends of the plates or frames 3 3,

and the division of the springs 7 7 into two sets of springs extendingin opposite directions, with one set connected to one of the said girthsor bars and the other set connected to the other girth or bar, providesagainst any crowding of the springs together and also againstinterference with the free working of the same, while it permits springsof the requisite dimensions and strength to be employed. As will beobvious from the drawings, the springs are so arranged and connectedthat when the harnesses are fully down the springs are capable ofexerting the greatest eifect upon the levers 1 1 and the harnessframeswhich are connected therewith and that in proportion as theharness-frames and levers are raised the springs are caused to comemore'nearlyinto line with the rods 2 2, on which the levers are mounted,whereby in obvious manner the effect of the springs upon the leversandharness-frames is lessened.

I have ascertained in practice that in looms employing a considerablenumber of harnessframes, (for instance, twenty, twenty-four, ortwenty-six,) and particularly where more warp-threads are drawn into thefront harness-frames than into those at the rear, improved results areattained by varying the tension of the depressing-springs of thesuccessive harness-frames progressively from one side of the series ofharness-frames to the other side thereof. This progressive difference oftension compensates for the fact that the rear harness-framesprogressively have tobe raised higher than the front ones in order toproduce auniform shed and that hence more resistance has to be overcomein actuating the rear harness-frames. It compensates also for theincreased tendency on the part of the front harness-frames, with theirproportionately-greater number of warpthreads, to lift adjoiningharness-frames in consequence of the friction of the warpthreads on oneanother. The greater the number of warp-threads that is drawn into agiven harness-frame the greater is the tendency, when such harness-frameis raised, for its warp-threads, by engagement with adjoiningwarp-threads, to raise one or more of the other harness-framessufficiently to disturb the level or uniformity of the lower plane ofthe shed. In accordance with my present invention I give an inclinedposition to the girths or bars 11 11, causing them to stand fartherapart at their front ends than at their rear ends, as indicated in Fig.2. Capacity for adjustment is found important in practice, and hence Iapply to the opposite ends of each girth or bar 11 the adjusting or setscrews 14 14, by means of which the position of the respective girths orbars may be raised as required and whereby the tension of the springs 77 may be adjusted. In consequence of employing a separate screw at eachend of each girth or bar the inclination or angularity of the latter maybe varied to any required extent as may be desirable in varying therelative tension of the respective springs. Thereby the diflt'erence oftension from front to rear in the set of springs may be made as great asdesired and the girths or bars even may be so. positioned as to secureuniformity of tension if that be wished.

I claim as my invention- 1. The spring-jack comprising levers forconnection with the harness-frames of a loom, springs operativelyconnected with the said levers, and an inclined or obliquely-disposedsupport for the said springs, substantially as described.

2. The spring-jack comprising levers for connection with theharness-frames of a loom, springs operatively connected with the saidlevers, a girth with which said springs are connected, and means toadjust the said girth into the desired inclined or oblique position,substantially as described.

3. The spring-jack comprisinglevers operatively connected together inpairs at their meeting ends, oppositely-located inclined orobliquely-disposed girths or bars,'two sets of springs respectivelyapplied to the respective girths or bars, and connections, as 8, 8,extending alternately in opposite directions from the respective sets ofsprings to levers at the opposite ends of the spring-jack, substantiallyas described.

4. The spring-jack comprising levers operatively connected together inpairs at their meeting ends, oppositely-located angularlydisposed girthsor bars, means to adjust the position or angle of the said girths orbars, two sets of springs respectively applied to the respective girthsor bars, and connections, as 8, 8, extending alternately in oppositedirections from the respective sets of springs to levers at the oppositeend of the spring-jack, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. STAFFORD.

Witnesses:

EMMA NISBET, WILLIAM G; ANTHONY.

